Nevada Democrats honored SM Local 88 organizer Alfonso Lopez for his years of tireless political activism—all on top of his staff duties. In 2016, he helped Nevada stand out as one of the few states that refused to send anti-union candidates to an open Senate seat and to the White House.
Here are Brother Lopez’ own words on reasons for the award—and note how he describes his own efforts in terms of larger goals and other people. That is true Union spirit.
Supporting the troops: “I’ve put in well over 10 years of cooking ‘sheet metal hamburgers’ (as volunteers refer to them), hotdogs, chicken and Carne Asada for candidates and for charities like St. Jude’s Ranch for abused children. Local 88 retirees deserve recognition for the fine craftsmanship it took to build our beast of a BBQ. (photo).
Hammering on the issues: “I pounded rebar and installed signs for nine different Assemblymen and State Senators during the 2017 campaign. It was critical we get back what was lost during the 2015 Legislative Session. Prevailing wage thresholds went from $100,00 to $250,000, wages were paid at 90% for work on university or school district job sites, and PLAs were cut from convention center work.“
“Fortunately, we are now in the majority in both the Assembly and the State Senate.
Hospitality for visitors: “I also took helped to feed workers in the state AFL‐CIO campaign. W had Labor people from all entities. Many came from California and lived here to help us turn Nevada blue, including the weeks that Northern California Local 104 sent organizers to help the campaign—which was greatly appreciated.”
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